Title: Take this Man Author: Kelli Maine Publisher/Year: Grand Central Publishing 3/4/14 Length: 100Pages Series: Give & Take #3.5
Overview
A man never wanted a woman as much as he wants her.
Merrick Rocha is the kind of man who makes a woman yearn for more. And for Rachael DeSalvo, he’s the kind of man who could easily fit into her picture of happily-ever-after. With each touch, each kiss, her body is thrilled as she never knows what to expect next. Their wedding day-and night-are no exception.
Now, as they come together as one, free to trust as deeply as their bodies connect, Rachael is finally ready to . . .
TAKE THIS MAN
My Thoughts
My hones opinion here, there wasn’t a need to have another novella – this would have served just fine as the epilogue to the last book Given – but oh well. i’m not the author. The thing here is that there was nothing unexpected or even tension developing – it was just a tale of a marriage that we were all expecting. It was nicely done though and what this final installment shows us is that the story has come to a great conclusion – where things are finally beginning to fall into place and relationships all around are growing stronger.
We see that Merrick’s actions from the very beginning were right for this pair, and that Rachael’s passion is what Merrick needed in order to move on with his life. Its all nice and sweet – yet rather un-fulfilling in the sense that i feel like i kept waiting for something to happen.
Title: Take Me Back Author: Kelli Maine Publisher/Year: Grand Central Publishing 6/4/13 Length: 112 Pages Series: Give & Take #2.5
Overview
DESIRE THAT CAN’T BE DENIED
Rachael DeSalvo is haunted by the past. She’s come home to her beloved Turtle Tear Island, where she looks forward to happy days and bliss-filled nights in the arms of Merrick Rocha. But when she finds a trunk full of old photo albums and handwritten notes, Rachael soon realizes that the island has not given up all its secrets . . .
For long before Rachael and Merrick made Turtle Tear Resort their home, this historic island was a haven for sensual, forbidden affairs. As Rachael and Merrick work to restore the grand hotel to its former glory, they will be caught in the perfect maelstrom of conflict and desire.
My Thoughts
In the last installment, we see that Merrick has purchased the Plantation that is part of the history of the owners that have Turtle Tear, and there’s much more there going on. there’s this ‘legend’ so to speak that the ghost / soul of Ingrid – the owner is still in the home, and wants to be returned to Turtle Tear where she loved it so much and her body is. Rachael has become so involved and obsessed with the story of these lovers, that she does everything that she can to uncover the story and the history and help return Ingrid’s soul.
Where this story takes us though is on a portion of Rachael and Merrick’s romance, where Rachael’s obsession has become so much that it’s taken away from her responsibilities on the island and things begin to fall through the cracks. She begins to lie to Merrick about where she’s going in the hopes that she can help return Ingrid, and this puts a riff between them. So much so that Merrick sends her home to Cleveland to ‘think things through’ and decides that they need to be on a break.
I think that what’s really interesting about this is that we know that neither of these 2 have a stable history of relationships, and this is something that comes to the forefront in this novella installment. Because they are both really bad at communicating, it puts the future of their relationship in jeopardy and you begin to wonder what it will to keep them together and if it’s even possible.
At the same time as this duo is going through their ‘stuff’, we see Maddie and MJ in an even better place. In the end of book 2, MJ put a promise ring on her finger and it seems like things are going well for this couple. You can’t help but be really happy for them.
I guess my question now is whether this is the calm before the storm and if we’re going to see things get thrown all about since we know that Enzo is still on the run and he’s not going to let things go so easily. I also wonder what’s going to happen with the Twin that we just met in the last book, and with Gina – since there’s something that’s not quite right. I think that what was hinted at – at the liklihood of a 12 yr old fathering a child on his first time having sex being slim to none – i’m curious is there’s more to the story there. I don’t know about you guys – but part of me wonders if it was Enzo and not Merrick that fathered the twins. just sayin….
So i guess it’s now off to reading Given – the 3rd full installment to see where things go. While i’m not sold on the 2nd person that we often get when Rachael is the narrator – at least the story itself is getting better to keep me engaged.
Title: Taken by Storm Author: Kelli Maine Publisher/Year: Grand Central Publishing 5/7/13 Length: 291Pages Series: Give & Take #2
Overview
DECEPTION
Maddie Simcoe knows the devastation that comes from keeping secrets. Now, she’s desperate to move on from the heartbreak that almost destroyed her — trading wild passion that once made her knees weak for a life of comfortable stability. But before Maddie can start over, she must return home to put the past behind her once and for all…
PASSION
When Maddie blows back into MJ Rocha’s life, nothing will stop him from proving to her that walking away from him was the biggest mistake of her life — not even the engagement ring she wears. Her every look, every touch tells MJ that the fire that once raged between them still burns hot, and MJ won’t give up until Maddie gives in to the inferno.
REDEMPTION
Trapped by a hurricane roaring through Turtle Tear Island, MJ and Maddie find shelter in each others’ arms. While the lightning flashes, MJ and Maddie are helpless to fight bonds of desire that tie them together. But just as they’re about to surrender to the torturous longing that consumes them both, the storm unleashes violent secrets from MJ’s past…secrets that could wash away all MJ and Maddie’s hopes of forever…
My Thoughts
so, all in all, this series is getting much more complicated – but in a decent way. The one thing that i’m going to say – and i’d love to hear your thoughts – in the first installment, we were under the impression that Merrick got his babysitter preggo – and that she had ‘taken care of it’ – and in this book, we are told that she had the baby and died…and then there were hints that Merrick knew this – or that he knew she died, but didn’t know that she had a baby – and then there were hints that he knew that she had a baby. so…i’m all confused on that front.
Anyhow, we’re reintroduced to this mix when Rachael has gone back with ‘grandfather’ to meet MJ and try to help build that relationship between Merrick and his son. At the same time, we see MJ who’s 20, having trouble finding his place in the world. He knew all along that his father didn’t know about him – for the most part, and nowt hat he’s in college, he’s trying to find his path, but not doing in the right way. He’s getting into fights (like his father) and being a bit impulsive rather than thinking things through (also like his father). So this story takes us on his journey, with his impulsiveness driving an even bigger wedge between him and Madddie – his past lover, hope to be future and forever lover – and daughter of the caretaker of his grandfather’s mansion.
So…complicated right? Let’s see, the sense that we’re given is that Maddie ran away from MJ about a year prior and didn’t tell MJ why she was leaving. While she was gone, she ‘fell in love’ with someone else who’s proposed, but since Maddie feels like she still has some connection with MJ, she’s asked for time…and takes it back where MJ is. At the same time, we learn that there’s a reason that Maddie left – some secret that she’s keeping for Enzo – MJ’s grandfather – and this secret keeps coming up throughout the book, in thought only since we don’t learn what it is.
Following the path of these folks, we end up back at Turtle Tear island, with the family reunited – and trying to get to know each other again. We get to see Rachael and Merrick really trying to make something work of their family, and trying to give Maddie and MJ space to sort out their own relationship.
What’s nice about this story is that we still see the ques to make the bigger family work with Merrick and Heidi, even though we don’t get a great impression of Roger – Heidi’s husband here either. I just don’t like him, and i think that we begin to see a much darker side to him as this story progresses. Merrick doesn’t trust him, and MJ gets a similar impression.
The questions that we’re posing throughout are whether MJ and Maddie will get together, and what will bring them together since we all know how stories like this happen. We also really want to know what the secret is since it seems like a really big one to keep Maddie away and to be fearful of – since Enzo continues to hold it over her and threatens her and her father if it’s revealed.
I’m curious to see how things progress here since we meet someone new that no one expected, and we find out about others from the past and their history – and all the while, wondering what Enzo will do next and who’s going to pay for his actions.
There’s a sweet next step though here – we see that there’s a bond between the current story line and the past owners of Turtle Tear, and we get to see the story there progress in the sense that we continue on to their plantation in FL – which is the next real estate purchase – all for good reason.
So, i guess i’m not quite giving up on this series, and i’ll have to read #2.5 before i get to the ARC that i got from Netgalley on #3. I’m sure i’ll be back tomorrow with a follow up – so enjoy for now!
Title: Taken Author: Kelli Maine Publisher/Year: Grand Central Publishing 1/8/13 Length: 256 Pages Series: Give & Take #1
Overview
ABDUCTION
He steals her away to a deserted island, to the one place she’s dreamed of being-the one place she can’t go. He’s used to buying whatever he wants, but he can’t buy her.
SEDUCTION
How can she resist the magnetism of his body, the longing ache deep inside her? She wants him to take her-on her terms.
DESPERATION
Every attempt he makes to love her only hurts her. How can they go on like this? This is the story of how she was . . .
TAKEN
My Thoughts
So….i got an ARC of Given – the third book in the series, so of course that meant that i had to start reading from the beginning. Now though, the question that i have is …..Do i still read the rest of it? I don’t know. Knowing me, i’ll tough it out, but let me get into why i’m saying that.
What we have here is a story about Rachael, our leading lady – a girl who has always put others first because of necessity and well, it’s time for her to take control…although that control is taken away from her. We also have our leading man Merrick – the billionaire CEO of a company that wants Rachael to project manage a renovation of a hotel property that they both seem passionate about. When we first meet them, it’s during a skype interview of sorts when we see Rachael being drawn into the appeal of Merrick, and he offers her the job based on how much she seems to love the property.
fast forward 3 months and we are in a bar with Rachael and her friend Shannon and she sees a stunningly handsome man walking her way. He feels familiar yet she doesn’t know why. Us readers of course connect the dots and know that it’s Merrick, but she’s slow on the uptake. It’s only after he buys her a drink, she blacks out and wakes up to find herself tied to a bed that she begins to learn that this stranger has taken her and is none other than Merrick.
That’s not really where the story goes wrong for me – it’s the POV and the writing style that does it in for me. The plot itself has so much potential, but there’s something that just bugs me about the constant ‘you’ reference – like it’s in the 2nd person tense and that we get it at 100% rachael’s POV – but it’s just awkward.
The entire story though is of the 2 of them fighting their attraction from each other or at least Rachael fighting it, all the while working with Merrick to renovate the place and make it what it once was. There’s a lot of sexual tension among these two, and Rachael keeps pushing him away.
At best, i feel like this story was passable as it was written. i think that if the style had been better, or the heated scenes at the end just been re-worded, there could have been so much more that could have gone right. The only thing that i can hope for is what i’ve seen in other series that i’ve been less than thrilled with the intro – that the next installment gets better – by force of the editor or just the author getting her footing a bit more. we’ll have to see.
